All summer and until the fall, there will be a multitude of activities in Montreal to mark the city’s 375th anniversary. Among the many events taking place, LUXE has selected ten that are not to be missed under any circumstance.

1. Montréal Avudo

From May 17 to September 2, 2017 – King Edward Quay, Old Port of Montreal

Montréal Avudo, a production by the renowned Compagnia Finzi Pasca, is one of the finest shows presented as part of Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations. It features a magnificent performance honouring the St. Lawrence River in the Old Port. Immense projections inspired by elements of the city’s history will take audience members on a journey through time. The show is free, but tickets must be reserved ahead of time.

© Jimmy Hamelin

2. AURA

Until December 31, 2017 – Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

This show guides audience members to the heart of Notre-Dame by progressively immersing them in an environment filled with captivating sounds and images. Orchestral music and grandiose architecture then combine to create a three-act multimedia show. Designed by Moment Factory, this show will take you to a world that is full of surprises, all in the most sublime setting: the Notre-Dame Basilica.

3. Montreal International Jazz Festival

June 28 to July 8, 2017- Place des Festivals, Montréal

For the 38th edition of the Jazz Fest, hundreds of thousands of people will once again enjoy an extensive program that is an ambitious mix of jazz, blues, rock, reggae, world, and electronic music. This year will feature over 500 concerts, two thirds of which are free.

4. Festival d’été de Québec

July 6 to July 16, 2017 – Plaines d’Abraham and Place d’Youville, Québec City

This year, Metallica, Muse, Kendrick Lamar, The Who, Gorillaz, The Backstreet Boys, P!NK, Lady Antebellum, and many other big names will appear at the festival!

© André- Olivier Lyra

5. The OSM’s Symphony for Montreal

May 31 to June 2, 2017- OSM

From May 31 to June 2, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal will present the Symphony for Montreal, the result of the collaboration between the young Montreal composer and conductor Samy Moussa and Moment Factory. This unique work was specially created for Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations and will be presented at the close of conductor Kent Nagano’s 11th season.

© Antoine Saito

6. The Shape of Things to Come

June 1 to August 13, 2017 – Centre de design de l’UQAM

This exhibition pays tribute to the revolutionary residential complex designed by the architect Moshe Safdie. The exhibition also traces the agency’s journey up to the present day through a number of projects directly inspired by Habitat 67.

7. Fashioning Expo 67

March 17 to October 1, 2017- McCord Museum

Expo 67 provided an extraordinary opportunity to showcase Montreal fashion designers. 50 years later, the McCord Museum is displaying its extensive collection of clothing and accessories, as well as its Expo archives.

8. La balade pour la paix, An Open-Air Museum

May 29 to October 27, 2017 – Sherbrooke Street

From May 29 to October 27, 2017, a major exhibition of Canadian and foreign public art will be held over one kilometre of Sherbrooke Street. La Balade pour la Paix, An Open-Air Museum,  designed by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, will also highlight the 50th anniversary of Expo 67.

© Jimmy Hamelin

9. Cité Mémoire

All summer

The Cité Mémoire circuit in Old Montreal, created by Victor Pilon and Michel Lemieux last summer, will bring to life characters from Montreal’s history through 23 tableaux (including four new tableaux) projected on buildings or monuments. Simply download the free application to live this unique experience.

© Jean-François Lemire, Shootstudio.ca

10. Leonard Cohen – A Crack in Everything

November 9, 2017 to April 1, 2018 – Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

The Musée d’art contemporain will pay tribute to Montreal singer Leonard Cohen, who passed away a few months ago. The exhibition will feature original works designed by local and international artists. The pieces have been specially commissioned for the event and will be inspired by the recurring themes and aesthetic sensibility of the great master’s work.

© Old Ideas, LLC

Cover: © Frédérique Ménard-Aubin

To mark the 150^th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, a fleet of tall ships will be calling at several Canadian ports this summer, including in Québec City and Lévis.

From July 18 to 23, to celebrate along with all the ships converging on Québec City, the only city to welcome them all simultaneously, the Port of Québec and the Quai Paquet in Lévis will be transformed for the week into a perfect place for meeting, exploring and, most of all, having fun!

Spectacular, extensive programming

From the smallest to the tallest, the ships will be open for the public to tour, including vessels like the Alexander Von Humboldt II from Germany, the Europa from the Netherlands, the Lord Nelson from England, and the Picton Castle and the Bluenose II from Canada. The Amerigo Vespucci will also make a visit before the fleet’s arrival, between July 4 and July 8.

Québec City schedule

Four main events will commemorate the tall ships’ passage to Québec City:

• Vele e Vents, a magical and explosive show produced by Catalan theatre company Xarxa Teatre, July 19 and 21 at 9 p.m. at the Agora in the Port of Québec
• Parade of the crews through the streets of Québec City, July 20 at 2 p.m. 3,000 sailors will follow a 1.5-kilometre route through the city, accompanied by musicians, characters, and other entertainers
• Grand fireworks display over the St. Lawrence, July 22 at 10 p.m.
• Parade of the tall ships to Ile d’Orléans, departing July 23 at 8 a.m. from the Quebec Bridge

Throughout the event, mobile shows and entertainers will rove the docks, keeping visitors amused and delighted as they wait to explore the ships.

At nightfall from July 19 to 22, around 8:30 p.m., the Cabaret des Chants Marins will come to life in the vaulted basement of Chevalier House.

Lévis schedule

Across the river, the festivities will take place at the Quai Paquet, where one tall ship will be moored and open to visitors.

• Light, water and sound show
• Mana, an extraordinary show combining circus and illusion, tells a tale of the discovery of the different people of a fantasy world on July 20 and 21
• Performance by Rosheen, July 20
• Performance by the Road Blues Band, July 21

Don’t forget that the tall ships will set sail from Halifax on August 1 to complete the last leg of the transatlantic race organized by Sail Training International that they began on April 13 in Greenwich, England. They are expected in Le Havre, France between August 31 and September 3.